The Supreme Court has summoned the petitioner who filed a plea seeking the Feb 8 general elections to be declared null and void due to alleged violations of democratic norms and electoral integrity.

As a three-member bench — led by Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa and also including Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Musarrat Hilali — took up the plea, the petitioner did not appear before the court.

Subsequently, the apex court issued a notice to the petitioner, Brigadier (rtd) Ali Khan through the defence ministry and adjourned the hearing until Feb 21.

The SC noted that the petitioner had identified himself as a former brigadier and when contacted again, his phone number was found to be turned off.

“Was the application filed only for publicity? This cannot be allowed. We will not allow the SC to be used in a wrong manner,” the court observed. It further stated that the plea had been filed in the SC on February 12 but had been reported on the media beforehand.

Recalling that the notice to the petitioner could not be delivered to the stated address and contact number, the court ordered that Ali be contacted through the station house officer concerned.